Unit 1: Foundations of Careful Thinking
What is Truth?
Truth is what is real, Jesus is the truth
What are the three fundamental laws of logic and their definitions?
The Law of Identity - Something is what it is and is not something else
The Law of Non-Contradiction - A claim cannot be both true and false at the same time and in the same way
The Law of Excluded Middle - A claim must be either true or false
Why do we need to identify careful thinking mistakes?
So we don’t make these mistakes, and instead discern between true and false ideas.
Do we need to be 100% certain of a claim before we believe it is true?
No, we can safely cross the bridge without being 100% certain.
What is the goal of communicating careful thinking as Christians?
To love God and others
What are the four questions you must ask before you accept a claim as true?
1. Do we need a knowledge bridge?
2. Does the bridge have a deck?
3. Is the deck connected to land?
4. Is the bridge sturdy?
For which rule of logic should we clarify the definition of a word? Explain why we should clarify the definition of words.
The Law of Identity. A word’s definition is what it is and it is not something else. We need to clarify the definition of a word to avoid misunderstanding. We need to know a claim’s identity before we find it to be true or false.
What are the two things we should keep in mind before believing what an expert says?
We should evaluate whether that person is an expert in the area relating to her claim
We also need to pay attention to what other experts says
If 100% certainty isn’t our standard for knowledge, what is?
Strong support
What must we consider when we are communicating careful thinking?
That we may be wrong
What are the three categories of knowledge?
People, skills, facts
What is the standard definition of love? What is the alternate definition of love?
Standard: doing what is best for another person. Alternate: making the other person feel good.
How does Paul view the right preaching made by the philippians vs the wrong preaching made by the Galatians? How does it relate to one of the careful thinking mistakes?
The difference is that there is no evidence in Philippians that the hypocritical preachers were saying false things when they preached the gospel. They preached the true gospel, while the preachers in Galatians were distorting the gospel. Despite the character of the preachers in Philippians, they were preaching gospel truth. A person’s character doesn’t make his claim true or false.
Fill in the blank
1. Reliable sources are __________
2. Reliable sources are ________
3. Reliable sources aren’t ________
knowledgeable, credible, biased
What are the two steps in communicating careful thinking?
Active listening
Asking questions
Fill in the blank:
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by __________ and ________ _________, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8
Philosophy, empty deceit
Faith is the opposite of knowledge.
Is the person using the standard or alternate definition of faith? Does this claim have a deck?
Alternate: Blindly believing something without good support
Yes this claim has a deck, it does not contradict itself
Fill in the blank:
Ephesians 4:17-20
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the_____ that is in them, due to their ________ of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!
ignorance, hardness
What are the four checklists for strong support?
Strong support doesn’t go against common human experience
Strong support is factual
Strong support is confirmed in reliable sources
Strong support holds more weight than the support on the other side
How does James describe what it looks like to love others while communicating careful thinking?
1.
2.
3.
Quick to hear
Slow to speak
Slow to anger
Recite John 8:31-32
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Summarize Matthew 12:9-14 (Hint: Sabbath)
How are the Pharisees' claim an example of one of the careful thinking mistakes?
Experts can be wrong: These religious experts were well-versed in the Torah and knew God’s law front to back. They accused Jesus of breaking the law when Jesus never did, when in fact, they broke God’s law by adding to it.
What are the six careful thinking mistakes?
1. A person’s character doesn’t make his claim true or false
2. Don’t forget about the claim in question
3. Feelings are not support
4. Popularity does not equal truth
5. Experts can be wrong
6. Do not assume a claim is true
Fill in the blank
Ephesians 4:21-24
21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your ____ self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be _____in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the ______ of God in true righteousness and __________.
21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your ____ self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be _____in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the ______ of God in true righteousness and __________.
Old, renewed, likeness, holiness
Fill in the blank
3 Do nothing from selfish ________ or _______, but in _______ count others more _______ than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own ________, but also to the ______ of _______
Philippians 2:3-4
ambition, conceit, humility, significant, interests, interests of others